The present invention relates to a structure for adjustably pressing interface cards against card slots provided in a computer case, and more particularly to a structure having adjustable pressing plates for pressing against interface cards of any specification, so that the latter are securely located in the card slots.
It is a common experience of many computer users that a computer unexpectedly shuts down during operating. A reason for such unexpected shutdown is the computer is vibrated during transportation or operation to result in loosened and therefore poorly connected interface card or cards that should be firmly inserted in card slot or slots. A shock-resistant pressing bar has been developed for firmly pressing interface cards against their card slots and mainly includes a supporting frame transversely mounted in a computer case with two ends thereof fixed to two side walls of the case. The supporting frame is provided along two longitudinal sides with a plurality of locating holes, so that pressing plates may be connected to the supporting frame by means of screws extended through the locating holes. Since the interface cards have different specifications and accordingly, different heights and lengths, the pressing plates must be differently designed to correspond to different interface cards. This will increase costs for making different dies for the pressing plates. Moreover, since the locating holes on the supporting frame are not adjustable, it is possible the pressing plates could not be mounted onto the supporting frame via the locating holes simply because of very small error in their dimensions.
Taiwan New Utility Model Publication No. 347103 discloses a pressing means 9 for computer interface cards, as illustrated in FIG. 1. The pressing means 9 is detachably connected to one of many fixing means provided on a supporting frame 8 that is transversely mounted on and between two side walls of a computer case. The pressing means 9 each includes a protruded stub 91 for engaging with a mounting hole 81 on the supporting frame 8 and a pressing bar 92 that could be set to first and second positions depending on the height of an interface card to be pressed by the pressing means 9. Such type of pressing means 9 has the following disadvantages:
1. The pressing means 9 could be used to press only two predetermined types of interface cards, that is, a high interface card and a low interface card, against their card slots. There is not fine-adjustment means on the pressing means 9 to allow an interface card having a height other than the two predetermined heights to fitly locate between a card slot and the pressing means 9.
2. The pressing means 9 has complicate structure and could not be easily assembled. The stub 91 is engaged into one mounting hole 81 on the supporting frame 8 without the possibility of being sideward adjusted to offset minor error in dimension or position of the pressing means 9.
3. Whenever a user needs to replace an interface card, the pressing means 9 must be dismounted from the supporting frame 8 to allow dismounting of the interface card from its card slot. And, the pressing means 9 must be mounted again when the new interface card has been installed in the card slot. Such dismounting and mounting of the pressing means 9 would cause a lot of troubles to the user.
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a structure for adjustably pressing interface cards against their card slots, in which pressing plates thereof are vertically and horizontally adjustable for securely pressing interface cards of different specifications against their card slots.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a structure for adjustably pressing interface cards against their card slots, in which a main support thereof is pivotally connected at one end to a side wall of a computer case via a hinge and detachably connected at another end to another side wall of the computer case via a screw, such that the main support could be easily pivotally lifted about the hinge to allow a user to conveniently access and dismount an interface card from the card slot.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a structure for adjustably pressing interface cards against their card slot, in which a cooling fan could be mounted on a main support thereof to speed radiation of heat produced by the interface cards during operation, so as to ensure normal operation of the interface cards for a prolonged time.